St Malachy’s hosted St Mary’s Rasharkin on Sunday evening in the JFC Group 1 and the away side wasted no time in getting going. Rasharkin have already collected the Division 3 league title and are aiming for a league and championship double but others will have plenty to say about that.
A point from James Higgins then a penalty goal and a point straight after, both from Brian Og O’Neill had the Dreen side on top in the opening 5 minutes.
The game then had a long delay due to an injury to the St Malachy’s goalkeeper Stephen Carson, but Rasharkin picked up from where they left off to extend their lead with further goals from O’Neill and Daniel Doherty.
Caoimhin Corr got St Malachy’s off the mark with a point just after O’Neill had pointed from a free and Killian O’Boyle put the visitors further ahead in the 26th minute.
A 2 pointer from a John Paul Lagan free gave the home side a lift before Tiernan O’Boyle finished the first half scoring to leave St Mary’s 3-05 to 0-03 ahead at half time
The second half started in a similar fashion however Rasharkin missed several chances in the early stages but points from Killian O’Boyle, O’Neill and Tiernan O’Boyle kept them on course for the win.
A great 2 pointer from Oisin Casey followed by quick-fire points from Thomas Hasson, Killian O’Boyle and half back Liam Quigg confirmed the Dreen men’s dominance.
St Malachys got one back with a point from James McGivern but Tiernan O’Boyle hit an excellent 2 pointer from play to close out the game.
O’DONNELLS survived a late onslaught to open their P.Graham Tarmac Antrim JFC campaign with a 1-13-2-9 victory over Ardoyne at Pairc MacRuairi on Sunday evening.
In a keenly contested and action packed contest, the hosts found themselves trailing 1-7-0-5 at the break, but a 10-point swing saw them hold the same advantage before Ardoyne showed their battling qualities- though not quite enough to see them leave the Whiterock with a point.
Ardoyne made a dream start and were ahead within two minutes at MacRory Park. Fiontan Lagan’s goal bound shot was saved by Conor Murphy but the loose ball fell to Cormac Mullan who sent the ball looping into the unguarded goal.
In response Fionntan McKeernan popped over after combining with namesake Gerard and then Paddy Matthews drew a smart save from Ardoyne keeper Tiernan Hughes.
The visitors were forced into an early change with Joseph Gibson suffering an arm injury and he was replaced with up and coming Ciaran Lopes.
Lopes would contribute to his side’s next score after surging forward at pace and laying off to Oisin Maskey to clip over and the lead was extended following a neat move that saw goalscorer Mullan pop the ball into Aidan McNeill to drop a shot over the bar.
At the other end Tiernan Hughes was forced to push a dropping Fionntan McKernan shot over the bar.
Quickfire points cut the deficit to the bare minimum as Paul Moore swept a shot over, Tiernan Hughes stuck out a foot to block a goal bound Gerard McKernan shot, a point eventually arrived off the boot of Richard McAvoy and then Fionntan McKernan blasted over his third of the half to make it 1-3-0-5.
Ardoyne should have had their second goal five minutes before the break. Lopes switched to Cormac Mullan and his pass into Aidan McNeill in the corner opened the ODs defence with McNeill laying the ball to backpost where Cahal Keown somehow blasted over the bar rather than under.
Mullan grabbed the first two-pointed score, sending a sideline attempt over the bar and just before the break he converted an injury time free to ensure that his side held a 1-7-0-5 lead at the interval.
ODs started the second period on the front foot with points from Patrick Meehan, Fergal McNerney and half time substitute Sean Pat Donnelly giving them momentum.
They had the chance to hit the front in the 42nd minute following Daniel Moore’s challenge that referee Charlie Hemsworth deemed worthy of a black card and penalty.
Substitute Padraig McKissock stepped up and made no mistake as tucked the spot kick high into the top corner past Hughes to ensure his side led for the first time (1-8-1-7).
Ardoyne restored parity for a brief period through a point from half time substitute Barry McKervey, though Sean Pat Donnelly instantly popped over at the other end.
Ciaran McKissock extended ODs advantage with a curling effort that dropped between the posts and Richard McAvoy then doubled his account for the evening to see the Whiterock outfit pull three ahead.
The visitors thought they had pulled level upon regaining their full complement. Cormac Mullan’s 45’ curled and dropped into the net, however after consulting with his umpire, referee Hemsworth ruled the goal out for square ball.
With five minutes remaining a two-pointed Patrick Meehan effort from play would prove to be the insurance score for the hosts, giving them a 1-13-1-8 lead, but Ardoyne battled to within the bare minimum in the closing stages.
They were awarded a penalty with two minutes to go and Cormac Mullan calmly fired low past Conor Murphy to reignite his side’s chances.
Both teams would end the contest with 14-men after a coming together saw Mullan leave on a second yellow card, and Stephen Seawright given a straight red.
Ardoyne may have snatched a late winner as McKervey’s attempted free from outside the arc stayed in at the byline, Cahal Keown saw his shot blocked and it fell to the path of Daniel Keenan whose follow-up was diverted behind for a 45’.
The resulting 45’ was converted by Aidan McNeill to make it a one-point game, though the visitors were unable to secure a share of the spoils and ODs ran out winners by the narrowest of margins to join Eire Og at the summit of Group 2.
O’DONNELLS: C Murphy, K Kennedy, S Seawright, S Lavery, P Meehan (0-3, 1×0-2pt), S Thompson, J McKenna, J Rafferty, G McKernan, R McAvoy (0-2), F McNerney (0-1), P Moore (0-1), C McKissock (0-1), P Matthews, F McKernan (0-3). SUBS: C Walsh for P Matthews (HT), P McKissock (1-0p) for S Lavery (HT), SP Donnelly (0-2) for K Kennedy (HT).
ARDOYNE: T Hughes, C Curran, M McGreevy, C Magee, J Gibson, P Marley, F Wall O’Brien, D Keenan, O Marley (0-1), C Mullan (2-4, 1-0p, 0-2f, 1×0-2pt), G McKernan, A McNeill (0-2, 0-1 45’), F Lagan, C Keown (0-1), D Moore. SUBS: C Lopes for J Gibson (8), B McKervey (0-1) for C Lopes (HT), T McKinney for D Keenan (60+3).
REFEREE: Charlie Hemsworth (ST PAULS)
TO VIEW MORE OF BRIAN MC KEE’S PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Armagh secured All-Ireland glory in a truly outstanding game of camogie, fending off a relentless Cavan side to lift the Kay Mills Cup. Under the guidance of manager PJ O’Mullan, the Orchard County’s perfect blend of youth and experience helped them overcome their recent history of heartbreak at headquarters—having lost four finals on Jones’ Road over the past decade. O’Mullan was back at the site of his Croke Park triumph with his native Loughgiel back in 2012 when he guided the Shamrocks to their second All Ireland Senior Club title. He also managed the Derry team who won the All Ireland Intermediate Camogie crown in 2023
For Cavan, the defeat marks the end of a remarkable journey. The Breffni Blues hadn’t even fielded a team at the start of the year, yet they pushed the eventual champions to the absolute limit in a high-octane, intensely physical contest.
The Turning Point
Despite Cavan starting strong—building on the confidence of their nine-point victory over Armagh in the group stages—the game was ultimately won on either side of the half-time whistle.
Trailing by two points just five minutes before the break, Armagh shifted into a definitive extra gear. They fired over eight of the next nine points, taking a 0-9 to 0-8 lead into the interval. After the restart, they continued their surge, transforming that initial deficit into a commanding 0-14 to 0-9 lead by the 40th minute.
Legendry Armagh Camogie photographer John Merry photographs his daughter Rachael Trainor (main picture) lifting the cup at Croke Park
Defensive Heroics and Late Drama
Philip Brady’s Cavan squad dug deep and refused to surrender. They held Armagh scoreless for 15 minutes, clawing their way back into the game as they threw caution to the wind in the closing stages.
With the gap narrowed, Cavan went searching for a smash-and-grab goal, but Armagh’s defense produced match-winning heroics:
The Hook: Eimear O’Kane executed a phenomenal, perfectly timed hook to deny a certain goal.
The Save: Goalkeeper Ciarraí Devlin pulled off a point-blank save to shut out another golden opportunity.
Note: Both of these crucial interventions denied Cavan’s Niamh Keenaghan, who was desperately unlucky not to find the back of the net during the chaotic final 10 minutes.
Standout Performers
For Armagh:
Rachael Trainor (Captain): A veteran of the 2016 final defeat, Trainor banished past ghosts by scoring six points (four from placed balls and one absolute peach from play) before lifting the cup.
Sinead Quinn & Corinna Doyle: Both forwards were a constant menace, each slotting three crucial points from play.
Ciara Geoghegan: Returning to the squad this season after the birth of her second child, she scored a vital point to steady the ship during Cavan’s late surge.
PJ O’Mullan, his wife Ciara and two sons celebrate Armagh’s triumph
For Cavan:
Eimear Brady: Kept the scoreboard ticking over for Cavan, finishing with seven points (mostly frees) and opening the game with a monstrous strike from outside the 65.
Roisin O’Keefe (Captain): The skipper was a massive threat at full-forward, registering three first-half points.
The Impact Subs: Christina O’Reilly (who remarkably played football for Armagh last month) and Orla Flynn both impressed off the bench to renew Breffni hope in the second half.
Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship – Group1 Round 1
Conn Mag Aoidh 2-15 Tír na nÓg 1-18
Conn Mag Aoidh will look back on this Senior Football Championship encounter with a mixture of frustration and disappointment after surrendering a game they largely controlled, as Tír na nÓg’s clinical finishing ensured the spoils were shared in a 2-15 to 1-18 draw.
In other words, Conn Mag Aoidh created the opportunities to win the game — but Tír na nÓg made far better use of theirs.
Ryan McQuillan opened the scoring inside the first three minutes before adding another shortly afterwards, but Tír na nÓg settled and responded through Oliver McAtamney, Darragh Fagan and Eamon Óg McAllister.
McQuillan was central to Conn Mag Aoidh’s first-half performance, contributing a goal and a number of points. His goal in the 19th minute helped Conn Mag Aoidh regain control, before further scores from McQuillan, Colla Ward and Cahal Hynds saw them move into a 1-7 to 0-7 half-time lead.
The statistics tell the story of the opening half. Conn Mag Aoidh had the greater share of possession and territory, while their opponents were forced to rely on making the most of the chances that came their way.
Tír na nÓg came out strongly after the break, however, and Oliver McAtamney fired in a goal just five minutes into the second half to bring the sides level at 1-7 apiece.
Conn Mag Aoidh responded through Niall Hynds and McQuillan, with Aiden O’Donnell also getting on the scoresheet. Cormac McKeown then added two points as Conn Mag Aoidh appeared to be edging towards victory.
But Tír na nÓg simply refused to go away.
Darragh Fagan, who proved particularly influential from placed balls, kept the scoreboard moving, while Eamon Óg McAllister, Barry McCormick and Conor O’Neill also contributed as the visitors remained within touching distance.
With Conn Mag Aoidh leading 1-15 to 1-14, McQuillan looked to have delivered the decisive blow when he converted a penalty in the 59th minute, putting his side three points clear on 2-15 to 1-16.
Yet there was still time for Tír na nÓg.
Eamon Óg McAllister reduced the deficit to two before Darragh Fagan calmly converted a free deep into stoppage time to bring the sides level at 2-15 to 1-18.
It was a dramatic finish, but one which will leave Conn Mag Aoidh wondering what might have been.
There were also some excellent individual performances for Conn Mag Aoidh. Ryan McQuillan finished with 2-4 and 10 points, while Cormac McKeown contributed two two-point scores and a point. Colla Ward, Cahal Hynds, Niall Hynds, Rian Lennon and Aiden O’Donnell also got on the scoresheet.
For Tír na nÓg, Darragh Fagan finished with eight points, including four from frees, while Oliver McAtamney contributed their crucial goal and a point. Eamon Óg McAllister added three points.
Ultimately, this was a game Conn Mag Aoidh had every opportunity to win. They had more possession, dominated the kickouts, and led for significant periods, but football is decided by scores rather than possession statistics.
And on the day, Tír na nÓg were simply more clinical.
Conn Mag Aoidh will feel that they left a victory behind them, while Tír na nÓg can take great credit for staying in the contest and showing the composure to take their chances when it mattered most.
